SF3 - the SmartFone Flick Fest is Australia’s international smartphone film festival.

Open to filmmakers of all ages from every country; from first-time filmmakers to professionals. As long as your film is shot entirely on a smartphone or tablet, your film is eligible for submission. Our 2022 Festival Ambassadors are Hollywood legend Phillip Noyce, Kerry Armstrong, Christopher Stollery, Kriv Stenders, Nicole da Silva, Jason van Genderen, Emily Prior, Stan Grant, Kara Rose, Jon Bell & Wanuri Kahiu. Our esteemed judging panel consists of the cream of the Australian and Hollywood film industries.

We have 5 categories in 2022. They are:

1. The SF3 Best Film for short films 20 mins and under. The films must be entirely shot on smartphones or tablets, with the exception that a very minimal amount of Drone footage is allowed. The films can be edited on any device and with any program and external equipment like lenses and mics can be used. Within this category we will also award the #FILMBREAKER Award for first-time filmmakers and the Luma Touch Finished on Mobile Award for films both shot and edited on a mobile device as additional prizes. The Official Selection from this category will be screened in our 2022 Gala Finals and will vie for our top prizes.

2. The SF3 Best Feature Film. This is for feature films shot entirely on smartphones and tablets. A minimal amount of drone footage is allowed. Films must be from 40 mins and no maximum.

3. The SF3 Kids Award for filmmakers 16 and under at the time of filming. All films must be shot entirely on smartphones and tablets. A minimal amount of drone footage is allowed. The time limit is up to 10 mins. Longer kids film that are really fantastic and justify being longer will be accepted with permission from us at sf3@sf3.com.au

4. The SF360 Award for 360 and VR videos up to 20 mins.

5. The SF3 Mini Award is for films up to a maximum of 3 minutes in length.

Everyone has a great idea for a short film and a potential movie camera in their pocket, so no excuses. Here’s your chance to start filming and be in the running to share in over $50,000 worth of prizes awarded annually, and have your film screened on one of Australia's premiere screens in front of a global audience at our 2022 Festival, in the Australian Spring. The festival will be both live and online, current Covid restrictions depending.

Our finalist films and one feature film will be selected from all the entries to screen at SF3 2022. We will be holding live screenings and awards in Sydney, Australia and our festival will include live screenings, red-carpet events, VIP party, networking events and masterclasses.

Our 2021 Festival was pushed to early 2022 due to an ongoing lockdown in Sydney and was held in partnership with Palace Chauvel Cinemas and the Actors Centre Australia. In 2019 and 2020, SF3 was held at Event Cinemas, George St, right in the heart of Sydney, Australia. We were one of the few festivals to go live in 2020 in a sell-out Sydney show! Our 2018 Gala Finals were also a complete sell-out at the Sydney Opera House and our SF3 Kids and Shortlist Screenings were held at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction. From 2015-2018 we held our Gala Finals at the iconic art deco Chauvel Cinema in Paddington, Sydney. We are passionate advocates for the showcasing of the best smartphone films from all around the world, show up on Sydney's top big screens.

Many of our past Gala and other finalist films have been invited to screen around the world at our partner film festivals including the International Mobil Film Festival in San Diego, MINA, the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival and more. The opportunities are endless for smartphone filmmakers.

All films MUST be shot entirely on a smartphone or tablet, meet our time requirements and you can use any editing software, apps and phone additions, and you can edit on a PC, laptop, tablet or your phone.

So, pull your phone out of your pocket and start filming, it really is that easy!

Awards & Prizes

SF3 is proud to award over $50,000 worth of prizes from our amazing sponsors including prize packs from our Gala Presenting Partner - AFTRS, our Major Sponsors - Luma Touch, Silver partner - Filmic Pro, our Bronze Partners - Chicken & Chips Casting, Old Kempton Distillery, NIDA & Accounting Heart and prize partners Shotlister, Ink Tip, Final Draft, Rode, Screen Actors Workshop, Power Productions and Story Board Quick, the Australian Cinematographer's Society, Screen Producers Australia, the Australian Writer's Guild, the Australian Director's Guild, SPA, iPitch TV, Ribbet, AFI/AACTA, Dolby, Backstage, AGSC, Brazen Lot, Film Local, Palace Cinemas & the Actors Centre Australia

Prizes awarded: In 2022 we will be offering 35 Awards across our 5 screenings. Here is the breakdown of awards across each screening each with a prize pack from our sponsors. Annually we give away over $50,000 worth of prizes from our generous sponsors including memberships, apps, lenses, microphones, classes, mentorships and soo much more.

THE SF3 GALA AWARDS
SF3 Best Film Award
SF3 People’s Choice Award
SF3 Best Director Award
SF3 Best Cinematography Award
SF3 & ACS Best Cinematography Runner-Up Award
SF3 Best Screenplay Award
SF3 Best Documentary Award
SF3 Best Editing Award
SF3 Best Original Score Award
SF3 Best Actress Award
SF3 Best Actor Award
SF3 & Luma Touch Finished on Mobile Award (for films both shot and edited on a mobile device)
SF3 & WIFT NSW Best Female Creative Award
SF3 First Nations Award supported by Dolby (for films made by a filmmaker that identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander)
SF3 Community & Diversity Award (for a film that is either shot by or that is about and features stories, creatives, filmmakers and actors from under-represented communities)
SF3 Founders’ Flick Pick
#FILMBREAKER Award (for the most promising first-time and/or emerging filmmaker)
SF3 Gala Finalists

SF3 KIDS
SF3 Kids Best Film Award High School
SF3 Kids Best Film Award Primary School
SF3 Kids Best Director Award
SF3 Kids Best Cinematography Award
SF3 Kids Best Screenplay Award
SF3 Kids Best Editing Award
SF3 Kids Best Actor Award
SF3 Kids Best Actress Award
SF3 Kids Finalists

SF3 MINI
SF3 Mini Best International Film
SF3 Mini Best Australian Film
SF3 Mini Highly-Commended Awards x4
SF3 Mini Finalists

SF3 FEATURE FILM
SF3 Best Feature Film Award
SF3 Feature Film Finalists

SF360
SF360 Best Film
SF360 Finalist

Rules & Terms

The rules are simple:
1. Your film must be shot entirely on a smartphone or tablet, or a 360 camera for SF360. The only exception is we will allow a small amount of drone footage. The amount is discretionary but must be an insignificant amount of your film and used only sparingly.
2. Films for the SF3 Gala Finals Official Selection must be no longer than 20 minutes including titles and credits. There is no minimum time limit. Films for the SF3 Mini Category must be a max of 3 minutes. There are no minimum time limits.
3. Films for our feature film category must be a minimum of 40 minutes in length, no maximum time limit.
4. All 360 and VR entries to SF360 must be a maximum of 20 minutes with no minimum time limit.
5. SF3 accepts any and all genres.
6. All scripts and ideas must be your original material.
7. Copyright material can only be used if you have written permission to do so, and we can ask at anytime to see this permission.
8. You can use any software or apps to edit your video and audio, and can edit on any device.
9. You can use any software for colour correction or special effects.
10. You can use external microphones, lenses, lighting, tripods, etc.
11. Your film must meet all the terms and conditions of the festival to be eligible.
12. The judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding film selections and prize winners.
13. SF3 Kids Flicks Category and Competition is for Australian and International filmmakers aged 16 years and under at the time of filming. A kids film for the purposes of SF3 is a film who's director and/or screenwriter are 16 years or under at the time of filming. All other roles on the film, including the DOP and actors and editors may include people of all ages, however, the film must be the idea of a filmmaker 16 years and under and all concepts of editing, camera angles and all other relevant artistic choices must be primarily decided upon by the filmmaker 16 years and under who enters the film. SF3 Kids films must be a max of 10 minutes in length.
14. SF3 is open to filmmakers from every country.
15. Films will be accepted from filmmakers of every age.
16. The WIFT NSW Award is for the best female creative, decided by our judges, who worked on one of our Official Selection films in a crew capacity, not limited to the producer, writer, DP, etc. The director of each film will be asked to nominate an outstanding female that worked on their film, and this can include themselves.
17. The SF3 Community Award is for a film which showcases stories, actors and/or people that are under-represented on our screens and showcases them in a moving, positive, or special way. This will be decided by our judging panel.
18. The Luma Touch Finished on Mobile Award is for a smartphone film that must be both completely shot and edited on smartphones or tablets only. You may use any editing program, but you must show us evidence that it was edited on a device; evidence includes screenshots of you editing or a short BTS of you editing the film.
19. To be eligible for the SF3 Best Feature Film Award, your film must be a Sydney public premiere, but it is allowed to have screened in other cities and countries.
20. In special circumstances archival footage may be used in a very minimal amount to add context or needed substance to your film. You must email us at sf3@sf3.com.au for permission.
21. The SF3 First Nations Award supported by Dolby is open to Australian filmmakers who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
22. For the #FILMBREAKER Award, this must be your first film you've ever made or the first film that has had a public screening.
Check out our site for full T&C's and to ask any questions - www.sf3.com.au
55 Reviews
Overall Rating
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Value
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Networking
  • Anton Califano

    I was so pleased for my film to be selected by SF3. They are super organised, and you feel that they really care about your film and do a lot to help promote it. Hoping I can take part again in SF3 in the future with another film!

    April 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Anton. This means a lot to us and we loved working with you and your incredibly powerful mini doco. Hope to see many more films from you over the years.

  • Steve McGrath

    One of the few genuine festivals in Australia run by genuine people that truly support Australian films. Support this festival and help it grow even bigger, and help recognize some new blood into the Australian film industry! (not blood literally - blood, sweat and tears of the film makers!)

    March 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Your review is as amazing and funny as your films! You are SF3 Steve!

  • Narelle Nash

    Not my first experience with SF3 and hopefully not my last, but this time was extra special. Thrilled to see my mini film Tessa Time take out the Runner-Up and Community and Diversity Award. I was given a lovely introduction on the night and it was great (after months of isolation) to be part of a live screening in a proper theatre. Filmmakers are given publicity opportunities along the way (article in my local newspaper) and regularly updated throughout the process. This year this festival attracted an Oscar winner's submission, which speaks to the calibre of SF3. Highly recommend.

    March 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Narelle. Your words make everything we do soo worthwhile and getting to spend the year working with you and other filmmakers just like you is why we love doing SF3 and making it all happen.

  • Alexandra Guillossou

    A truly amazing festival that I highly recommend for mobile filmmakers. The communication was ongoing and incredibly friendly. The festival team made themselves very accessible for months ahead of time. The film selections were phenomenal. SF3 made me feel like I was part of the festival even though I was half a world away. The venue and event looked top-notch—what a honor to have our films shown on such a grand screen. The long online showing allowed plenty of time for busy viewers to catch all the films. I am so thankful to have been a part of SF3 and look very forward to submitting in the future.

    March 2022
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    Response from festival:

    It was our absolute pleasure to have you in SF3 2021 and screen your incredible film...which just looked phenomenal on our big screen! Loved all our chats and hope to have you in many more SF3s.

  • Joshua Belinfante

    A really fantastic festival run by the team with some phenomenal industry support. They really care about the filmmakers and put on a spectacular show. We were so thrilled to win 'Best Mini Film' in the 2021 festival too !

    March 2022
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    Response from festival:

    We are soo proud of your film and loved having you in SF3 2021/22. Thanks for all your support Joshua and can't wait to have you in many more SF3s!